Horror movies are an undeniably essential part of the Halloween season. The holiday is all about scaring, after all. This year, we have been lucky enough to have an abundance of great horror films, and some have been released just in time for October. Since the season is close to over, it feels right to suggest two theatrical releases: The Conjuring: Last Rites and Good Boy.

The Conjuring Franchise has been one of the most bizarre concepts in recent horror franchising. To make a full cinematic universe of spin-offs, loosely based on real-life hauntings that have questionable legitimacy, is certainly a choice. Still, it ended up being a profitable one. No doubt one can recognize the character of Valik, aka The Nun, or the cursed Anabelle doll, both from their own film series.

However, those icons would not exist without the original The Conjuring in 2013. The film told a dramaticized version of the story of real-life paranormal investigators and demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren, and one of their more notable haunting cases in the 70s. The second installment was when they introduced the character of Valik into their universe on top of a disconnected case, but it still served the story well. This would not be the case when the third movie, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, came around. The film was intended and marketed as being about the case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who went on trial for murder and pleaded not guilty by reason of demonic possession. This premise led many to believe this would be a subversion of the haunting formula with a courtroom drama. Instead, it ended up being subversive by focusing on a witch hunt rather than dwelling on the real-life murder.

All this is to express that there was a real chance The Conjuring: Last Rites could have been a disappointment, especially with the high expectation for this to be the conclusion to the story of The Warrens. It was not a let-down. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who play Ed and Lorraine, respectively, give their all to portray these people who have danced with the paranormal for too long. I appreciated this film’s greater focus on their daughter, Judy, and what type of young woman she is becoming. Mia Tomlinson is giving a great performance as someone who grew up surrounded by the occult her whole life, and she is well-supported by her incredibly likable love interest, Tony, played by Ben Hardy. There is a strong throughline about the strength of a familial bond, but it feels muddled when it comes to developing it through the family victimized by the haunting. There is a strong focus on this family initially, but the focus on them fades to stick with the experience the Warrens are having. Overall, the film is still an effective horror film, on top of being an effective emotional end to the dramatized film versions of Ed and Lorraine Warren. We can only hope the studio does not get greedy and decide to make another in a decade.

After speaking so highly of a franchise film, it only seems fitting to acknowledge a new, original feature. Good Boy gained attention for its bizarre premise: a horror movie from a dog's perspective. The film follows Indy, a golden retriever, whose owner retreats to his grandfather's old house as he suffers hauntings from mysterious entities. As his owner, Todd, descends into darkness, Indy is the only thing to protect him. The discussion around this movie has mainly surrounded the fear from audience members that something horrible would happen to the dog, over early reviews calling it "the most heartbreaking horror of the year." The search, "Does the dog in Good Boy die" was even trending on Google, giving the movie more attention, which is absolutely needs.

This film is a shinging example that any concept for a film can be pulled off by the right creative team, no matter how bizarre or unfilmable it may seem. Indy the dog is, surprisingly, an amazing actor. The golden retriever is able to portray an array of emotions as this dog tries desperately to protect its owner, and learn what's truly going on. That's also another thing interesting about this film: The threat of "evil spirits haunting the owner" are not exactly evil spirits. There's a fascinating layer of this film that explores the horror a dog would feel in a situation like this, and the perspective allows an interpretation of how the animal would be experiencing this event. It would be a crime to say any more. Experience this feature for yourself, it is not only one of the best horror movies of the year, but one of the most creative films of 2025 in general.

Back to The Conjuring, it is surprising how successful this entry has been. According to Box Office Mojo, is sitting at 474 million worldwide, which is a bigger profit than some big-name releases like Marvel’s Thunderbolts*. It is honorable for a horror film to make this much profit, but the independent horror features like Good Boy needs it the most. Chris Stuckmann, long-time movie review YouTuber, recently appeared at a premiere of his own horror film, Shelby Oaks, wearing a t-shirt to encourage people, “See horror movies in movie theaters.” So, no matter a franchise hit or a small passion project, supporting the genre around this season is important to keep it alive. You could watch one of the millions of options on streaming, like a classic slasher, or a recent digital release like V/H/S Halloween, and Weapons. But, the better option may be to experience the horror in the theater, and see Good Boy, or The Conjuring: Last Rites.